When BDO considered the benefits of working in an open-concept space, one concern that arose was privacy. What would happen, for example, when an employee needed to place a private phone call to a client or colleague?
Would it take Superman to solve this problem? Probably not, but BDO installed a handy private phone booth in the office equipped with noise cancelling walls for employees to make calls … or make a quick change into their secret crime-fighting/numbers crunching identity.
BDO recently opened its new open-concept office space in the downtown core to clients and staff with the goal of creating a more collaborative, creative and warm atmosphere. The space, located on 180 Kent Street, is 20,000 plus square feet and occupies the 17th floor.
“We want to have a warm, friendly atmosphere that makes people excited to come to work,” says Stéphane Savage, office managing partner at BDO. “We wanted an office that would help streamline our services and enhance our client experience.”
With more than 200 employees previously spread across multiple locations and three physical locations in Ottawa, BDO saw the relocation as a way to create a more collaborative workspace and give their clients improved access to its full suite of services.
The consulting, insolvency, assurance and tax services groups moved into the new space in late November with BDO maintaining its St. Laurent Boulevard office for the firm’s clients in east Ottawa.
Renovations included having ample natural light throughout the office, whiteboard walls and multiple meeting rooms for clients and employees. The office is still going through improvements including the addition of a vertical garden.
“Nowadays people can get caught up in deliverables and they don’t take time to take a lunch break and exchange with their colleagues,” says Savage. “We wanted to create a space where employees feel comfortable to chat with others and get to know each other while providing valuable expertise to our clients. We’ve already seen more interaction between various service lines and our clients love it.”
